HCBDD levy critical to providing for special needs individuals

For decades the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities, for many years known as the Holmes County Training Center, has provided top-notch services for families who have individuals with disabilities.

Throughout that span the community has been right there, showing its support by passing critical levies that finance the operations of the organization.

During the Nov. 5 elections, the HCBDD will once again return to the ballot to seek that ongoing support from voters, seeking a 3.75 mill renewal levy with a continuing term, meaning if it were to pass, the HCBDD would no longer have to place the levy on the ballot every 10 years.

According to Marianne Mader, HCBDD superintendent, this levy provides 55% of its annual funds necessary to provide quality care through its programs and services and touches the lives of hundreds of families in the area who utilize their services.

“The continuing term is the new part of the levy,” Mader said. “This is such a large portion of our funding, and it is critical to helping us provide the ongoing services we provide for the community, so we felt this was a very important one to place on as a continual levy, and we have so greatly appreciated the incredible support we have had from the people of Holmes County over the past many years.”

Mader said while many recognize the HCBDD as the training center, the facility provides so much more than simply a training center, as it has turned its attention to providing for families outside of the center, as well as working toward more inclusion in the community, whether that is in school or in the workforce and even community events.

“We have people who have lived here many years who recognize us as the training center and newer residents who only know us as the Board of DD, but the important thing is that either way we continue to provide extremely important services, and that will never change,” Mader said.

Holmes BDD is funded through a combination of local property tax dollars (78%), state funding (8%) and board operations (14%).

This funding provides a host of important services and programs that make a huge impact on the lives of both the individuals with handicaps and their families.

One is the Early Intervention/Learning Bridge program that serves children age 0-5. Mader said this service has increased 40% since 2020.

“Both of these programs play crucial roles for many families,” Mader said. “We’ve developed some really fun sessions and serve a lot of children.”

The HCBDD K-12 School serves 23 students with significant needs who receive special instructions, nursing, transportation and therapy.

“We’ve seen great strides in one area in particular recently, and that is the usage of communication devices, something that has opened up a whole new world of communication for our students,” Mader said. “These are people who we never dreamed would be able to communicate on the level they have achieved through these devices. It’s been an incredible blessing to the families and individuals.”

Its team of professional service and support administrators works relentlessly with 125 individuals and their families, developing individual service plans that cater to each individual’s specific needs. They create links to providers, present valuable community resources, monitoring services, and ensure health and welfare services.

While the HCBDD no longer provides adult day services, something that is now offered through several local adult provider groups including GentleBrook, Sacred Ground, Lynn Hope Industries and Midwest day programs, it remains committed to supporting these groups financially in order to continue to provide the very best in care and attention to individuals with special needs and their families.

“Even though we aren’t providing these services anymore, we are paying for them,” Mader said. “These tax dollars ensure that our people have somewhere to go during the day that provides meaningful interaction, and our providers all work hand in hand with providing the best fit for our individuals and families.”

HCBDD also is involved in providing Medicaid’s Home and Community Based Services, a program that allows it to offer more than $2 million worth of services for only $300,000 of property tax levy dollars. Mader said that is a monumental benefit to families and an incredible savings to the community.

In addition, the HCBDD offers programs like Special Olympics and the Holmes County Bucks basketball program as recreational opportunities to individuals with special needs.

Another service is providing financially for the 35 adults who provide around-the-clock residential care for individuals in the home and are Medicaid or Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities certified.

Finally, the organization provides funding for transportation to six different agencies that provide adult day services.

“Our aim is to provide means and services that enhance the lives of individuals with special needs and their families, and we touch so many lives through the various programs we provide,” Mader said. “We are so grateful to the many who have shown their support over the years.”

It all adds up to a lot, but the overall scope of importance behind each of the programs remains critical and is a true blessing to the families with individuals with special needs, which is why this continual levy becomes a critical part of what the organization provides.